


suffer with our silent love

by ardentiia



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Adrestian Empire, Angst and Feels, Crimson Flower, F/M, Feels, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Light Angst, Mentioned Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, Pining, Post-Black Eagles Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sad Sylvain Jose Gautier, Sylvain Jose Gautier Needs A Hug, The Great Fódlan Bakeoff (Fire Emblem), Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26452036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ardentiia/pseuds/ardentiia
Summary: He studies her, drinking in her figure. It’d been nearly four months since he last saw her, standing regal at the gates as he rode towards his former home. He’d spent weeks in Gautier negotiating a peace treaty with Sreng on behalf of Adrestia, and he was due back in a month to make sure everything’s still running smoothly. But right now, all he wants to do is stand here by her side, watching the citizens of Enbarr go about their days, free from the war that had torn into their lives just a couple years ago. An empire of peace--peace they’d lived for, fought for, died for.“I wish he could have seen this.” His throat tightens. “I wish all of them could.”
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Sylvain Jose Gautier/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21





	suffer with our silent love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Great Fodlan Bakeoff #2! Prompts: Flowers, Reunion, Courage, Sunrise/sunset, Trust
> 
> You can enjoy this with or without having played Crimson Flower

The sun is just cresting over the horizon as Sylvain rides in through the gates of Enbarr. Soft light graces the shop windows, sending beams washing over the quiet streets. The city is still mostly asleep, and his horse’s hooves clop loudly against cobblestone, echoing down the storefronts. As he approaches the palace, there’s a figure waiting for him, ghostly pale against the rising sun.

“Didn’t think you’d wake up this early just for me, Hubert,” Sylvain says, leaping down from his steed. “Assuming you even slept. Do you sleep?”

“I do as Her Majesty commands,” Hubert responds flatly. His face is devoid of emotion, as always. 

In contrast, a grin crosses Sylvain’s face. He nods to his steed. “Take care of her, will you? We’ve had a long ride.”

Hubert nods slightly. “She’s waiting for you in her room.” 

“Thanks.” Sylvain takes a deep breath in, nerves suddenly alight with new energy. He turns from Hubert to face the palace doors. Running a hand through his hair, he’s beginning to doubt his decision to ride almost nonstop back from Gautier territory. His back aches, he smells like sweat, and he could  _ really _ use a bath. But if she’s waiting for him…

“How do I look?” he jokes to Hubert.

“Like you need a bath,” Hubert shoots back. Yep, Sylvain is really regretting his decision now. But he’s not going to be the one to keep her waiting if she’s so eager to see him, right?

Sylvain pushes open the doors. They shut behind him with barely a sound, the greeting room empty save for some servants scurrying back and forth. Ascending the staircase and the walk to her room seem agonizingly long, although he’s probably just tired. Her door lies at the end of the hall, drawing him in.

He holds up his hand to knock, then hesitates.

_ Last chance to make yourself look presentable, Gautier. _

_ I’m sure she’d understand if I took a quick bath, right? _

He lowers his hand just as the door opens. He freezes.

“Sylvain.” 

He sweeps into a deep bow. “Your Majesty.”

A small frown appears on her lips. “I told you that you don’t have to call me that,” she says.

He straightens, winking at her. “Old habits die hard, am I right?” he says. “Edelgard.”

Her frown turns deeper. “Well, it took you long enough to return.” She sniffs audibly.

“Aww, c’mon, I barely slept at all!” he protests. “There’s no way I could have come back faster unless I took a wyvern. The least you can do is say ‘It’s good to see you;’ my lonely heart could do with some comfort.”

“At any rate, I am relieved to see you without injury,” she responds, pointedly ignoring his last comment. Her gaze darts away to stare at a point just past his left arm. “Your death would have been extremely inconvenient.”

“I can imagine.” He softens his voice. “I missed you.”

She looks back at him. For a moment, he sees a flash of something in her lavender eyes, but it’s gone before he can identify it.

“Take a bath and meet me in the garden when you’re done.” Her brisk tone is back, the commanding voice he recognizes from their years at war. “You look tired.”

“Aww, I’m flattered you care.” He sketches a playful bow, keeping his eyes on her as he rises. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

* * *

He spots her by the carnations, the pink and red petals unfurling in a beautiful display. Her back is to him as she looks out over Enbarr, the faint sounds of shops opening drifting on the wind towards them. He doesn’t bother announcing his presence, only standing by her side as they survey Adrestia together.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it.” A hint of something wistful threads its way through her voice.

He studies her, drinking in her figure. It’d been nearly four months since he last saw her, standing regal at the gates as he rode towards his former home. He’d spent weeks in Gautier negotiating a peace treaty with Sreng on behalf of Adrestia, and he was due back in a month to make sure everything’s still running smoothly. But right now, all he wants to do is stand here by her side, watching the citizens of Enbarr go about their days, free from the war that had torn into their lives just a couple years ago. An empire of peace--peace they’d lived for, fought for, died for.

“I wish he could have seen this.” His throat tightens. “I wish all of them could.”

She turns to him. In her eyes, he sees a reflection of himself, a mirror to the grief that never truly faded. He knows who she’s thinking about, what she’s thinking about; his last dying breaths, the vengeful screams of a dragon, the axe that sliced the sun. Even now, he knows she tosses and turns at night, crying out for friends who are no longer there. He knows because he does the same, knows because in his dreams, he sees blood.

“If I had been a bit faster-”

“Dimitri was too far gone.” His eyes dip down to her hands, clothed in delicate silk gloves. His fingers flex at his sides. “You did your best, Edelgard. We all know that.”

She looks so tired, but still, she stands straight and tall, a true emperor to the end. He’s never seen her without a shield up, distancing herself from any who might come close. Even now, he can see her tears held back, one beat away from falling.

“I will not become a slave to the ghosts of the past.” A promise edged in steel, forged in blood from a past they would never forget. “But I will honor them by protecting the future we fought for.”

She turns back to the city, arms stiff at her sides. Sylvain watches her grip the cape that flows from her shoulders, as if poised to tear it off. 

Slowly, he reaches out. At the first touch of his hand against hers, she flinches away, and he hesitates. After a moment, he intertwines his fingers with hers. Her palm is cool against his own, the ever-present gloves soft against his skin. He can see her pupils dilate, feel the rapid beat of her pulse, but she doesn’t move. They stand there together, the sun rising at their backs. The world moves on.

“You may protect our future,” he says, voice as soft as a bird’s down, “but who will protect you?”

He doesn’t expect an answer, but something sharp still lodges in his chest when she stays silent. She steps away, dropping his hand. The flowers between them rustle in the light breeze as if to mock him for his efforts, for the space at his side that will always remain empty.

“I apologize, Your Majesty, I overstepped.” His grin is bright, blinding in its insincerity. “I have some business to attend to, so I must be going.”

She says nothing as he turns to go, walking as fast as he can without outright running away from her. He can feel her gaze burn into his back as he closes the doors behind him, maintaining the grin as servants pass by. 

It’s only once he’s back in his room that he lets the fierce sting of tears wash over him, drawing racking sobs from his chest. He presses the palm of the hand that once held hers to his mouth. No one will hear him as he sits in the quiet empty room. No one must hear him.

Outside his door, Edelgard waits, listening. 

Her hand hovers, primed to knock. 

Slowly, her arm drops to her side. Her fingers clench into a fist.

She turns, heels clicking against the tile floor. 

She walks away.

**Author's Note:**

> A bit late to the party but hey! More Edelvain! Are you surprised? I'm not :)
> 
> I really like this idea so I might add onto it later but for now, *chants* angst angst angst
> 
> I think I put a lot of hidden symbolism in this more than I usually do in my other fics, especially relating to the prompts. If you can figure them out let me know ;)
> 
> Yell about FE3H and Edelvain with me on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/ardentiia)


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